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Blue Economy: IMION, Experts Urge Regulators to Overhaul Logistics Efficiency  

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Without efficient logistics, the full potential of the blue economy remains trapped at the coastline, impacting the movement of goods and services across the maritime environment, the Director-General, International Maritime Institute of Nigeria (IMION), Rear Admiral Thaddeus Udofia (rtd), has said.  Speaking on Monday at the IMION Auditorium, NNS Quorra in Apapa, Lagos, Rear Admiral Thaddeus Udofia (rtd) declared open a three-day executive training on “Logistics and Trade Facilitation for Blue Economy Growth.” Addressing stakeholders, the IMION Director-General described logistics as “the backbone of the maritime industry,” emphasizing that it…

Sooth News Loses Friend—Nasiru Marafa Gusau, Bursar of NOUN

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Sooth News is deeply bereaved following the tragic passing of one of its closest allies, Malam Nasiru Marafa Gusau, the Bursar of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN). Malam Marafa was reportedly attacked and killed on Sunday, August 6,while returning to Abuja after leaving Gusau before Tsafe. The deceased shared a deep, decades-long bond with the Publisher of Sooth News. Their friendship began during their National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) year in Ogun State in 1996, where Marafa served in the accounts section of the Ogun State University Teaching…

WHEN GOVERNMENT OWES THE RETIREE: THE TIME-VALUE OF MONEY AND THE CASE FOR IMMEDIATE PAYMENT OF GRATUITY

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By: Dr. Philip B. OlusolaLead City University, Ibadan. There is a fundamental economic principle that should guide Nigeria’s conversation about pensions and gratuities: money has a time value. A naira available today is not economically equivalent to a naira received several years from now. Inflation erodes purchasing power, investment opportunities are lost, and the person deprived of the money may be forced to borrow, sell assets, or depend on others to meet basic needs. This principle becomes particularly compelling when the money belongs to a retiree. After decades of service…

NDLEA Arrests Ex-Convict ‘Tea Merchant’ Behind Saudi Cocaine; Intercepts Drug Tanker in 9-State Blitz

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In a massive blow to transnational syndicates, operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have dismantled a sophisticated cross-border narcotics network during a coordinated 9-state crackdown. The high-stakes sweep led to the arrest of a convicted cocaine trafficker posing as a herbal tea merchant, the interception of a 20,000-litre fuel tanker retrofitted with a hidden drug compartment, and the recovery of massive consignments of cannabis, tramadol, methamphetamine, and other psychotropic substances across Lagos, Adamawa, Ondo, Kaduna, Bauchi, Ekiti, Kogi, Taraba, and Enugu states. This major enforcement breakthrough was…

NPERA’s Dr. Pius Akutah Bags Prestigious Sustainability Award in UK

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In a global recognition of regulatory excellence, the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA), Dr. Pius Akutah, MON, has bagged the prestigious Sustainability Award for Investment and Economic Development. The honour was conferred on Dr. Akutah at the high-level Nigeria Conversation on Trade and Investment London 2026, a premium dialogue curated by the Royal Commonwealth Society (Nigerian Branch) to celebrate his impactful footprints in investment promotion and national economic growth. This international accolade comes at a defining moment, closely following President Bola Ahmed…

2027 Budget: Bauchi Govt Seeks Citizens’ Inputs as Consultations End

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By: Bashir Hassan Abubakar The three-day public consultation on the proposed 2027 Budget of Bauchi State has ended, with stakeholders commending the State Government for the ongoing implementation of the 2026 budget. The consultation, organised by the State Ministry of Budget, Economic Planning and Multilateral Coordination, commenced on August 31, 2026, in the Northern Senatorial Zone, comprising seven Local Government Areas, before moving to the Central Senatorial Zone with six LGAs and concluding on September 2 in the Southern Senatorial Zone, comprising seven LGAs. During the engagements, stakeholders were taken…

Hit Cartels in the Wallet: Marwa Charges NDLEA Investigators as CJ Tsoho Backs Judiciary Ties

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In a decisive move to cripple the financial lifelines of drug barons, the Chairman and Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), has charged investigators and prosecutors to aggressively trace, seize, and recover the proceeds of narcotics trafficking. Marwa insisted that the war against drug cartels can no longer be won by mere arrests and illicit drug seizures alone. According to a statement released on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, by the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, Director, Media…

Box-Count Rebound: Suez Canal Eyes Panama Pact as Maritime Traffic Surges

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Container ship crossings through the Suez Canal are gaining serious momentum, confirmed Admiral Osama Rabie, Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority. Industry trackers indicate that major ocean carriers are progressively restoring their scheduled services along this strategic shortcut, pivoting away from the lengthy and costly alternative route around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope. This pivotal update was delivered on Sunday during a diplomatic summit at the SCA’s iconic Guidance Building in Ismailia, where Rabie met with Ahmed Fawzy El-Sherif, Egypt’s ambassador to Panama, to map out closer coordination between the…

Turkey-to-Lagos Pipeline: Tin Can Customs Nabs 204 Fresh Rifles in Barely Three Weeks

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The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted a cache of 204 illicit pump-action rifles concealed inside a shipment of imported household goods at the Tin Can Island Port. This dramatic breakthrough comes barely three weeks after a similar high-profile seizure of 399 smuggled weapons at the exact same port facility, exposing a persistent maritime security vulnerability involving arms syndicates operating out of Turkey. According to official terminal records, the 20-foot container housing the weapons was falsely declared as containing “used household items”. The vessel, MV Algeciras Express, docked from Turkey…

BUILD 2026: YAHIC Mobilizes Bauchi Youth to Drive Sustainable Development

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​By: Bashir Hassan ​Youth Adolescent Health Initiatives and Counselling (YAHIC), a Bauchi-based civil society organization, hosted young leaders, mentors, and civil society partners at the BUILD 2026 Summit on Saturday, August 29, 2026, in Bauchi. The strategic gathering aimed to empower youth-led organizations and foster community-driven solutions to sustainable development challenges across the state. ​In a welcome address, YAHIC Executive Director Eswayi Ikpi Polycarp framed the event as an incubator for practical grassroots action rather than a passive conference. She highlighted that BUILD provides a structural bridge connecting youth innovation,…